Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, last night received in Dammam the chairman and members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Eastern Province. In a speech on the occasion, the Crown Prince praised the role of the Chambers of Commerce in the development of the Kingdom, and highlighted the government's support of the private sector, saying: "The private sector contributes positively in the areas of industry and commerce. It enjoys a number of benefits including those of security and stability, and offers opportunities that attract leading international companies desirous of investing in the kingdom. " Crown Prince Abdullah went on to say: "Without doubt, the best investment we have is in the young people of Saudi Arabia, who have proved their ability to take any position in which foreign experts were needed in the past."

Also yesterday, Crown Prince Abdullah dined in Dammam with a number of prominent local citizens, and toured the exhibition at the Al-Furquan Center organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance.

Earlier, he visited Qatif, where he opened a new sports city, after inaugurating Qatif's Corniche, and then proceeded to Ghazlan, where he laid the foundation stone for its second steam-powered generating station. The two Ghazlan stations will together provide 4,000 megawatts of electricity, and meet the requirements of the Eastern Province. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Industry and Electricity Dr. Hashim bin Abdullah bin Hashim Al-Yamani noted that Dammam had been chosen last year by the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as headquarters of the proposed joint Gulf electric grid. He added that the new Saudi Electric Company (SEC) will give top priority to the completion of the national electric grid, and expressed pride in the fact that 70 percent of the manpower is Saudi.